On Hwy-101, 62 miles South of Eureka. The fertile but hard-to-reach hillsides around Garberville became part of California’s so-called Emerald Triangle during the 1970s and 1980s, a serious marijuana-growing area where cultivating the illegal crop promised profits far higher than traditional forms of agriculture. Following sustained Federal crackdowns, however, many of the more obvious trappings of the trade – such as Garberville’s very specialized agricultural supply-shops – closed down.

More apparent for the casual visitor is Garberville’s useful location between Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Richardson State Park, and the town has plenty of accommodation pitched at nature-loving tourists. Should you be heading north, the town also makes a useful starting point for an early morning assault on the Avenue of Giants (in Humboldt Redwood State Park). Hotel and motel space is at a premium only during the Garberville Rodeo, and the Rock and Reggae on the River music festival, which brings tens of thousands of revellers to Garberville during July.